Choices
by Jecir
Summary: "We can fix this, Henry, but you must understand. What you have set in motion cannot be undone, not fully. No matter what happens after today, your life will never be the same. I can promise, however, that if you trust me, I will grant your true wish." The Truest Believer makes a wish that could unravel his existence; now he must fight to fix it before it is too late. S/T O/Q
1. When You Wish

Choices

By: Jecir

Chapter One: When You Wish...

"I wish none of this had ever happened."

And just like that, the world went silent. Henry looked up in shock. Everything was gone—the snow, the trees, his father's grave, all of it. What was left was an inexplicable nothingness. Fear gripped his heart, but he was the grandson of Prince Charming; he would not be afraid. He stood up straight, squared his shoulders, and looked around. He had dealt with strange new locations before. Nothing was new to him after having dream chats with Sleeping Beauty or waking up in Neverland. It was his life.

All around was nothingness. It was strange. He had always thought that nothingness would be pitch black. This was something more. It was not fully black; more like a continuous shifting of blues, blacks, and other assorted colors associated with the night. He took a deep breath and was glad to see that nothingness included air. It was not stale; he did not know why he assumed it would be stale but it wasn't. It was just air. Not cool; not warm; not anything; just there. He guessed that was what nothingness was—simply there, which contradicted the entire meaning of nothing, but that was neither here nor there. He was here. He needed to figure out why so he could get back to his family.

His family...

Henry frowned. In the shock of this change, he had forgotten about his family. More so, why he had not been there with them when this...whatever it was...occurred. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise.

Indulging in the sudden vulnerability of his solitude, Henry looked up into the shifting nothingness and let his emotions wash over him. The pain he had been feeling flared up; unlike his fears, he did not fight it. Everything hurt; it felt like nothing was ok. His world was falling apart for the umpteenth time in his short life, and, for once, he did not know what to do about it.

He really missed his father.

Something twinkled overhead. Henry gazed up into the swirling nothingness, wondering how there could be light in the midst of this darkness.

"That's quite an accidental metaphor."

Henry turned sharply and raised his fists instinctually to face the mysterious speaker who had joined him in this bizarre moment.

His science classes had taught him that light was sucked away in vacuums, thus a normal person would be shocked to be able to see the woman standing next to him. Henry, however, was not normal and took it in stride that he could see her. He also took it in stride that he could see her because she, herself, was glowing. The woman standing beside him was gazing up into the night; she was surrounded by an artic blue glow that did little to fill the emptiness. Her skin was pale; her eyes were dark; and her hair fell in a waterfall down her back. She was robed in a cloak that broke up the shadows around them with small pinpricks of light—like stars in the night sky. She smiled when she turned to him and said, "Hello, Henry."

"Who are you?" Henry stuttered.

The woman swept her cloak back and dropped into an impressive bow. "I am Evangeline," she said. "I am a Wishing Star."

Henry dropped his fists and raised his eyebrow. "A Wishing Star?"

"Yes," Evangeline said with a laugh.

"As in "When You Wish Upon a Star?""

"Oh no," Evangeline wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Nothing like that rubbish, but, well, then again, almost like that rubbish. Why did you say it with such scorn?"

"Scorn?"

Evangeline cocked her head and eyed him over, something mysterious twinkling in her eyes. "I would think the Truest Believer would believe in his own wishes."

Henry ducked his head, feeling a touch of shame before that familiar sensation of shock returned accompanied by suspicion. "How did you know about that?"

"Easy," Evangeline said. "I heard you, though the _words _and the _intension_, well..."

"That's not what I meant," Henry said. He was torn between that nagging suspicion and general confusion. He would not be tricked by another stranger seeking his heart. He would not! His family had suffered enough; he would not bring more pain than he already had. Wishing Star or not, he would not be so easily duped. "Listen, whoever you are,"

"Evangeline."

"Evangeline," Henry corrected swiftly. "If you know about that then you know who I am."

"I do," Evangeline confirmed.

"And you know my family. I am—"

"Henry Mills, adopted son of the Evil Queen, biological son of the Daughter of True Love and the Child of the Dark One, grandson to the greatest lovers in all the lands and the greatest evil in all the realms. Your great grandfather tried to steal your heart so that he could live forever; your step-grandfather is potentially going to become your step-father; and...oh yes, you are the heir to the throne of three kingdoms. Did I miss anything?"

Henry's threat was stuck in his throat as he tried to process her rambling. All he had meant to use for intimidation; she had listed off with care-free nonchalance. He tried to grab at something to put him back on the front foot, but all that slipped from his lips was, "Three kingdoms?"

"Regina's kingdom, Snow's, and Prince James'," Evangeline explained. "You have quite the inheritance awaiting you should you ever go the Enchanted Forest."

Aghast and floundering to understand what exactly was happening, Henry demanded once again to know "Who are you? Where are we? Whatever it is you're doing, you won't get away with it! My mothers—"

"Are too busy fighting to know you are here," Evangeline cut in. "But you knew that already."

Henry ducked his head and looked away.

"To answer your questions, I am Evangeline. I am a Wishing Star. Where we are is a bit complicated, and no, believe it or not, Henry, I am not doing this. You are."

"What?"

A rumbling sounded in the depths beyond.

"Hm, it's started," Evangeline hummed.

"What's started?" Henry asked, looking back and forth between Evangeline and the distant rumbling.

"The fulfillment of your wish," she answered.

"But I didn't make a wish," Henry said.

"Yes, you did," Evangeline replied. "If you hadn't, I wouldn't be here."

"Oh, so Wishing Stars appear to every person who makes a wish?"

Evangeline laughed. "You gained some sass from your adopted mother. I like it."

The rumbling sounded again; louder and closer.

"You are an inquisitive child," Evangeline observed. "You get that from your father's side of the family. I will try to keep up. Wishing Stars do not appear at the call of any child's desire. Mostly, we grant the wishes from afar if we grant them at all, but you, you are the Truest Believer, and this," She indicated the nothingness around them. "This is the result of your wish."

Henry took in his surrounding again with renewed confusion. "I don't understand," he said. "I didn't make a wish."

"You did," Evangeline corrected in the wake of another rumble. "Do you not recall what you said before all this started?"

Henry wracked his brain trying to remember the words. It was harder than it should have been to recall something that happened mere moments earlier. His eyes widened a touch as he whispered, "I said..."

"I wish none of this had ever happened," they said together.

"Yes," Evangeline nodded; her countenance had turned grave. "And the magic in your blood seeks to do your will." She waved to the night where the rumbling was moving closer and closer—far too reminiscent of Pan's curse for Henry's liking.

"But," Henry stuttered as he looked out. He could have sworn he saw things moving out there. "I didn't mean it! You have to know I didn't mean it!"

Evangeline laughed a touch. "Wishing Stars are not foolish, Henry, of course we know a fake wish when we hear one."

"Then you can fix this?"

"No." Evangeline's dark eyes locked onto him. "You meant to wish, Henry."

"No, I didn't," Henry denied.

"You did," she said simply. "You may not have meant to speak the words you spoke, but in your heart, you held a wish—a deeply rooted wish that contained all the power of your belief—and, when you said those words, you released that power."

"That's insane," Henry said. "I make wishes all the time. Every child does. They don't come true."

"For you, they do. Did you ever wonder how you found your mother when living in a cursed town?"

"I'm not from the Enchanted Forest. I could leave whenever I wanted!"

"Yes, yes, yes, but how? You found a woman who did not want to be found, whose name had been erased from your birth records. It should have been impossible, but you did it. It's because _you_ are the Truest Believer, and when you wished with everything inside of you to find your mother, we, the Wishing Stars, were bound to obey. _That_ wish was made when there was no magic around you; _this_ wish is saturated in it; but, because the intentions of your heart and the words that you spoke were not in alignment, you released wild magic that seeks to grant the surface wish."

Henry was almost too afraid to ask, "What's a surface wish?"

"The wish you think you needed instead of the wish you know you wanted."

The rumbling crashed around them like violent thunder. This time, it was accompanied by flashes of light that illuminated indistinguishable figures in the darkness. Henry stepped back. The rumbling was coming toward them.

"What is it your grandfather always says? All magic comes with a price. The life that you knew is unravelling."

"No!" Henry pleaded. "It can't. I didn't want this! Please, there has to be something we can do!"

"There is."

The wild magic was almost upon them now when Evangeline dropped to her knees and took hold of Henry's shoulders. "That is why I am here. Before the wild magic seeks to grant your surface wish, I will grant your intended wish. Do you believe me?"

Henry didn't know what to think. This was happening too fast. He looked at the incoming cloud. He hadn't meant to do this, he had just wanted...

"Henry, please, we are running out of time. Do you believe me?"

Henry looked back at Evangeline, into her pleading eyes, "We can fix this?"

"Yes," she affirmed. "But Henry, you must understand. What you have set in motion cannot be undone, not fully. No matter what happens after today, your life will never be the same. I can promise, however, that if you trust me, I will grant your true wish."

Henry took one last look at the incoming cloud. It was coming for him; it was coming to change everything. Magic always did this to him—took everything away. This time, he determined, he would not let it win. "Yes," he said. "I believe."

Evangeline grinned and, in a flash of silver light, they vanished before the cloud could take them.

* * *

**AN: **Hello. I hope you enjoyed the beginning of "Choices". This is my second Once Upon a Time story. The first, "Awakening to Dream", can be found in my profile. As an outside author, I will do my best to honor the show and the characters by keeping them as in character as possible within this proposed scenario. Reviews are welcomed, and a special prize for whomever guesses who Evangeline is.

Of course, I do not own Once Upon a Time. If I did, there would be no need to write this story.

Regards!

Jecir


	2. Dream Again

**A.N.: **Thank you to all who followed and reviewed. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.

Choices

By: Jecir

Chapter Two: Dream Again

"Where are we?" Henry asked. The sudden shift from dark to light left him disoriented. He blinked rapidly to adjust his vision as he hurried to catch up with Evangeline.

"We are outside of time," Evangeline said.

Outside of time was a realm of white mist. Evangeline moved through the mist with an ease Henry failed to imitate. He stumbled a bit as he looked around. There were vague grey shapes hidden in the fog. The longer they walked, the sharper the shapes became.

"I had to get you away from the wild magic," Evangeline explained. "It was unravelling the timeline."

"You said that," Henry said. "You said my life was unraveling."

"Yes," Evangeline hummed. "But it's easily fixed." She stopped and turned on her heel. Henry almost bumped into her. "Once I grant your true wish, we can fix the damage."

Henry frowned. "But it won't be the same."

Evangeline nodded and then leaned down and whispered, "But it might be a lot better."

"My life was fine," Henry said a bit defensively.

"If that were the truth, Henry, you wouldn't have wished."

"I didn't mean to," Henry challenged.

Evangeline stood straight and shook her head. "You knew what you were doing. You of all people do not make a wish lightly. You know what magic does."

"Exactly," he said. "That is why I wouldn't do this."

Evangeline made to reply but stopped. A thoughtful expression crossed her face then faded into worry. Cocking her head, she said, "Henry, what were you thinking about before this started?"

"I don't know," Henry said with a shrug.

"Where were you when you made the wish?"

"I—" Henry started with his usual gusto, but his words dropped off as the truth sank in. "I don't know."

"Do you remember why you were where you were?"

Henry swallowed; he was suddenly very nervous. "I don't."

"Hm..." Evangeline turned and waved her hand. The mist swirled before them and then formed into a web of glowing white lines. Some lines glowed brighter than others; some were little more than a dull pulse. There were star-like dots at the junctions where the lines intersected. As the mist settled, Henry noticed that a dark cloud was moving very slowly over the very bottom of the web where the lines ended.

Evangeline hummed with a furrowed brow as she watched the cloud. "Well," she concluded, "That's not good. It seems the wild magic has already eaten the last few minutes."

"Meaning?" Henry asked as he, too, watched the slow-moving darkness. It was hard for him to believe that that cloud was magic trying to _help_ him.

Evangeline crossed her arms. "Meaning you may have forgotten your true wish." Henry gaped at her. "Oh don't fret," she continued, "It's just a minor setback. All we need to do is help you remember."

"How can I forget my true wish?" Henry finally got out.

Evangeline smiled; it was a strained sort of thoughtful smile much like one he had seen on Emma's face when she did not know how to tell him something. "A true wish is less about words and more about heart," she said. "The ways of the heart are very difficult to articulate until they come into complete focus. Follow?"

"Sort of," Henry admitted.

"Look at the mist," she said. "This mist is kind of like the human heart—constantly shifting and churning, moving from one desire to the next and flowing in the winds of emotion. Humans never truly know what they want or need because, most of the time, their hearts are like this; however, there are moments when the mists part and the picture beyond becomes clear. In those rare moments, you understand yourself and know exactly what it is you want. You never forget, not truly, but you may not always know.

"Something happened that made the mists clear for you and drove you to make the wish you made," Evangeline concluded. "We just need to recreate that moment, so to speak."

"And how do we do that?" Henry asked.

"I don't know," Evangeline admitted. She glanced at the web. "I suppose I could take you back to the more recent moments before the clarity event occurred."

Henry frowned and looked away from the web.

Evangeline noticed his shift in behavior and raised her eyebrow in thought. "Not too keen to see that, I assume."

Henry shook his head. "They were fighting," he muttered in feigned nonchalance, but, inside, he felt everything but. Shame, frustration, and guilt churned in his stomach. Though he could not remember where he had been, he could remember why he had been there. He had wanted to escape.

Evangeline knelt down in front of him and squeezed his shoulder. "What were they fighting about?"

"What _weren't_ they fighting about?" Henry said bitterly.

"It might help if you talk about it."

"You sound like Archie," Henry said as he shrugged off her hand and turned away. He walked a few steps from the web. He could almost see it—the scene in Mary Margaret's kitchen. No one had known that he had been sitting on the top of the stairs listening to his mother and Emma arguing back and forth about just about anything they could. They had started with how best to defeat Elsa the Ice Queen before she froze every heart in town. That topic swiftly turned when Regina pointed out their need to temper Emma's "fool-hardy need to save everyone" which inevitably had led to Emma once again apologizing in vain for saving Marion. Henry closed his eyes as the scene continued to unfold before his mind's eye.

Regina had scoffed at the apology. She was reverting to her old self. All the good she had cultivated in her heart was withering away now that she had lost Robin. Regina mocked Emma for being "so much like" Snow—never truly thinking about other people; always doing what she wanted even if she hid it under a veil of nobility.

"You're being unreasonable," Killian had tried to interject.

Regina had turned her ire onto the pirate and in moments tore him down; reminding him that he was part of the problem—encouraging Emma's selfishness with his "oh so debonair charm", she had hissed, and helping Emma conveniently forget the wellbeing of _their son._

"Do not drag Henry into this," Emma had warned.

"Why not?" Regina challenged. "Did I not tell you that _I _did not approve of Henry spending time with this..._pirate_? But what do my wants compare with yours, Savior?"

"Regina!" Snow had tried interjecting, but his mother had silenced her with a raised hand.

"You can't be trusted to think of Henry; not while you're too busy with your newest "True Love"." She folded her arms and raised her eyebrow; her entire countenance radiated haughty superiority. "Henry never should have brought you here."

Henry remembered running from the stairs then. He had felt suffocated and needed to escape. Their voices had echoed in his mind and sank deep into his soul. He could not escape them in the tiny loft. He ran for his window; he would use the fire escape; but he was not fast enough to miss Emma saying, "He wouldn't have had to if _you_ had loved him as he deserved!"

Nor did he miss Regina's reply. "Oh really? Like the woman who _forgets_ those she supposedly _loved_ after only five days?"

Henry clamped his hands over his ears in an attempt to drown out the memory. He fought against the suffocating pain and anger those words had stirred up in him. He remembered running out into the New England cold; the wind chilling the hot tears on his cheeks; the air burning in his lungs; and the nonstop pounding of his heart telling him to run, run, run...

"Hey." Evangeline's face filled his vision. She was kneeling in front of him again. "Hey, Henry, It's alright. You don't have to keep it inside. That's not very safe."

"Safe?" Henry scoffed. He did not want to talk about this; he did not want to face the truth of his pain, thus, he grabbed onto anything he could use to divert Evangeline and her piercing eyes. "Funny. That's what my mom said my dad did when he died. He was keeping me _safe_. It's what everyone thinks they need to do for me, but guess what? I can keep myself safe!"

Something rumbled in the distance.

Evangeline looked over her shoulder. "Henry," she began.

"I didn't ask to be kept safe," he snapped. What he was saying and what he was feeling were not in alignment; he knew this but he did not care. He was angry and hurt and frustrated—with his family, with his life, with all of it—and he just wanted it to stop. "I didn't ask to have two moms or no dad! I didn't ask to be in the middle! I didn't ask for any of this!"

He did not notice the sudden darkening of the mist around him.

The rumbling grew louder.

"Henry, please," Evangeline tried again.

She reached out to him, but he pulled back. Hot tears of frustration began to roll down his face. Embarrassment at being caught crying joined the cacophony of emotions inside his heart.

"I know you're frustrated, Henry," Evangeline soothed. "But you need to calm down."

"Why?" Henry challenged. The anger was making him feel powerful and, for a moment, in control of his life. He had never felt in control of anything. He felt he could do anything. "So I can make my wish? Well how about this? I wish my dad hadn't died!"

Something crashed violently in the mists.

"Henry," Evangeline cautioned.

"I wish my parents hadn't abandoned me!"

A rush of wind preceded a roar and a sudden surge of darkness.

Evangeline was watching the mist. It was being swallowed up by "The Wild Magic," she said in disbelief.

"I wish the curse had never been cast!"

The Wild Magic surged up all around them like a wave waiting to break.

Henry closed his eyes and yelled as loud as he could, "I wish none of this had _ever happened_!"

The Wild Magic crashed over them, and the last thing Henry heard before he was swept away was Evangeline calling out his name.


	3. Be Careful What You Wish For

Choices

By: Jecir

Chapter Three: Be Careful What You Wish For

Everything was chaos. Henry was sure of that. The black clouds swirled around him. He could feel the magic—untamed and violent. Evangeline had been right when she called it wild. It howled and churned and filled the air with putrid vapors. He spun this way and that. With each panicked breath, the vapor filled his lungs and caused him to cough. With each cough went a milky-white wisp of memory. The wisps would puff out into the magic, form a ghostly image of a moment from his past, and then would be swallowed by the wild magic. Henry began to panic when he realized what was happening. The wild magic was stealing his past. "No," he whispered.

_"No!"_

Henry turned. He knew that voice. "Dad."

The wild magics parted and Henry's face paled at what he saw. Emma was standing in front of his father; Hook's sword was buried in her stomach. The magics cleared and, suddenly, Henry found himself standing in the midst of the final battle against Zelena. Somewhere in the distant thoughts of his mind, he knew what was happening. Hook had betrayed them. He had allied with Zelena in hopes of claiming Emma as his prize. Now, he had done the unthinkable.

Behind him, Henry could hear his grandpa and Robin fighting Rumpelstiltskin. He knew that if he turned his head just enough, he would see his mother facing off with her wicked older sister; however, he kept his eyes—wide with disbelief—forward.

Hook pulled his sword free. His face was pale with horror and shock.

Emma's gun dropped to the ground as she fell backward into Neal's arms.

Neal gently lowered Emma to the ground. "Emma," he cried. "No! No no no!"

Emma began to tremble. Blood poured from the hole in her stomach. Her body was going into shock. Slowly, she looked from the bubbling wound to Hook and then, finally, up at her once lover. Tears began to fill her eyes as the truth sank in; she was dying. "Neal..." she whispered. She raised a weak and shaking hand to his face.

Neal grabbed her hand desperately. "No babe, come on. Come on, you'll be alright." He laid her down fully and struggled to get his jacket off. In that moment, Hook broke from his shock. He stepped forward, Emma's name half-way from his lips, but he stopped short. Neal had grabbed Emma's gun and was pointing it at the pirate. "Don't!" he snarled. "Stay back! You did this!"

"Neal," Emma groped for his raised arm. "Please..."

Neal dropped the gun and turned back to his true love. He cursed in frustration and finally managed to pull off his jacket. He bundled it up and pressed it into the wound. Behind him, Henry heard Regina's victorious cry as her magic ripped free Zelena's pendant. Charming grabbed his newborn child, and Hood tackled Hook. Neal ignored all of this. His eyes were on Emma. His left hand was pressing the jacket into her stomach; it and the jacket were both already soaked in her blood; he used his free hand to stroke her hair and brush away her tears. "It's going to be ok," he said. "I've got you."

Emma swallowed hard. "Take...take care of...Henry."

Neal shook his head. "Don't say that," he said. He was trying to keep the fear out of his voice. "We won, see? It's over. You and me, we'll raise our son together."

The light was beginning to slowly fade from Emma's eyes. "Tallahassee," she sighed.

"Yeah," Neal said. The fear and the sorrow he had been fighting was beginning to win. Tears began to fall from his eyes. "We can have Tallahassee."

Emma smiled. Her eyes fluttered closed.

"No!" Neal cried. "Emma, no! Papa!" He looked up in a desperate search for his father. The others had circled them now. Regina was holding the dagger. Neal's eyes locked with his father's. "Please, papa," he begged.

Rumpelstiltskin knelt down and took Emma's hand. He closed his eyes for a moment in concentration but then shook his head. "I'm sorry, son," he whispered.

"NO!" Henry and Neal screamed as one. Henry's voice echoed with disbelief; Neal's with sorrow. The son of the Dark One pulled the Savior to his chest and sobbed brokenly. He never once heard the screams of his son. None of them did.

Henry stumbled backward away from the scene. "No!" he kept repeating in denial. That's not what happened. It wasn't!

Was it?

_"I wish my father had never died!"_ The words echoed all around him.

The wild magic closed the curtain. The howling was louder now; the vapors stronger. Henry coughed against his will and more memories disappeared into the darkness.

"_Go!"_

It was his father again. Henry tried to pull away. He did not want to look, but the wild magic was in control. The clouds parted to reveal the streets of a city he did not recognize. Had he known it once? He did not know. Everything was a blur in his mind.

It was dark and it was raining. Henry unwillingly watched as a small family ran through a back alley. Neal was leading the way; Emma was pulling Henry behind her. The young boy struggled to keep up with his mother and father. Neal stopped at the alley's back exit and looked around.

"Did we lose them?" Emma asked over the pounding rain.

As if in answer, a haunting howl filled the air. Henry clutched his mother's side and buried his face in her coat. Emma and Neal looked up into the night. The shadows were thick but they could still see _it_. "Damn him," Neal growled. The small family crouched in the alley for a few moments; waiting for the shadow to pass.

"He isn't giving up," Emma whispered.

Neal leaned back against the alley wall and sighed heavily. "I know." He took a moment to regain his courage and then pushed off the wall and hurried into the darkness, Emma and Henry close behind. They snuck through back alleys, side streets, and abandoned buildings; each time they came to a section of open exposure, they stopped to check for the Shadow. Finally, as the rain began to lighten, they arrived at an empty parking garage. Waiting for them there was a yellow bug and a man in a leather jacket with a motorcycle. "Neal," he called. There was relief in his voice.

"August," Neal called back. He jogged up to the writer.

Emma followed with reluctance. "What is he doing here?" she demanded.

"Good to see you to, Emma," August said.

"I asked him to be here," Neal confessed. There was reluctance in his voice. He had not wanted to take this option, but, as he looked out into the night, he knew that this was the one play he had left.

Emma looked back and forth between the two men. "Neal," she said. "What is going on?"

A distant howl cut through the air. The three ducked on instinct; young Henry bit back a cry.

"He's getting closer," Neal muttered. He turned to his family. "You need to go."

"What?" Emma demanded.

"Come on, Henry," Neal said. He stepped around Emma and picked up his son. "We're getting out of here." Neal unlocked the yellow bug and set Henry inside.

"Where're we going?" Henry asked. There was a mix of fear and excitement in his voice.

Neal swallowed hard and stroked his son's hair. "You and momma are going on a trip with Mr. August."

Henry grabbed his father's jacket sleeve before he could pull away. "You're coming with us, right?"

Neal didn't answer his son. He couldn't lie to him—not like his father. He kissed his son's forehead, pulled away, and shut the door.

The howl sounded again; much closer now.

"You know the way?" Neal asked August. August nodded. "Good."

Emma grabbed Neal's arm and forced him to face her. "Tell me," she pleaded.

Neal cupped the face of the woman he loved; his heart broke as he spoke. "You and Henry are going to go with August. He is going to take you somewhere safe; somewhere _they_ can't find you."

Emma shook her head. "You're acting like this is goodbye."

Voices echoed in the decks below them.

Neal pulled away from her. "Neal!"

Neal pointed at August; his face was firm. "You take them to my father," he commanded. "You make _damn sure _he protects them, understand?"

"I promise," August said. He started his motorcycle and revved it.

"Neal," Emma pleaded again. She grabbed his arm to stop his retreat. "What..."

Neal cut her off with a kiss. It was a desperate farewell. When they parted, he leaned his forehead against hers and sighed heavily. It was time for the truth. "I can't go with you."

"What?" Emma whispered. "Why?"

"I've always known," he confessed. "August warned me but..." He searched his lover's face. "I couldn't lose you. I was selfish; I wanted Tallahassee, but, instead, we got this." The voices, the howling, and the fear—it was all getting closer. Neal gripped Emma's shoulders. He knew he was running out of time. "They want Henry, but they won't get him. Not where you're going. You stay with August. You listen to him. He'll explain everything."

"I don't understand," Emma said.

"I know," Neal replied. "But you will." He hugged her then. He did not want to let go. "Find me when it's over," he whispered in her ear. Emma nodded though she did not understand. Neal held onto her for one more moment and then gently pushed her away. "Now go. They're almost here. Take our son and keep him safe."

Emma nodded. "I love you," she choked out through the tears rising in her throat.

"I love you, too," he swore.

Emma turned and hurried to the bug. Moments later, Neal watched his family disappear into the shadows. Then, a second moment later, the Shadow arrived flanked by the Home Office.

"Bealfire," John said sternly. He had his gun raised.

Neal turned slowly. His hands were in his pockets and a lazy smirk was on his lips. "Hey, John."

"Where is the Truest Believer?" Michael demanded.

"Where you'll never find him," Neal said.

"Storybrooke?" Michael cursed. "You sent him there?"

Neal just smirked.

"It's no matter," John said. "He won't be safe there forever. Pan knows the Curse will break eventually, and when it does, we'll be there."

"So will my father," Neal said. "And her parents."

"We do not fear the Dark One," the Shadow hissed.

"You should," Neal replied. "If there was one thing my father knew it was family. Once he meets my son, you'll never get him."

"We shall see," the Shadow said. It swayed back and forth for a moment and then flew into the night. Before it left, it ordered them to "Kill him."

"Nothing personal, Bea," John said as he aimed. "We need to protect our family to."

He fired.

And Henry found himself yelling out his denial again as the clouds of wild magic converged on him. He heard his second wish echo through his mind: _I wish my parents hadn't abandoned me!_

"Stop!" he begged. White wisps were flowing from his lips now. His past was disappearing. He was forgetting. He did not know who or what but he knew that he was. There was a blackness taking over his mind; he knew he was losing something important; but he could not remember. The wild magic was stealing it from him. He covered his ears; the howling and the churning was becoming too much for him. He closed his eyes and begged, "Please stop!"

The magic parted once more. Henry fought the impulse to look. "No!" he said. The magic pressed into him; it _demanded_ that he look. It seemed desperate for his opinion. "I don't want to," Henry pleaded, yet, even as the words left his mouth, his eyes opened and he watched.

He was standing in a tree overlooking a sinister gathering of fairy tale villains. Standing in the midst of the group was the Evil Queen. Henry's heart twisted at the sight of her. Something echoed in his soul—a longing, a remembrance of a once-love that now caused him pain as he watched the dark woman speak. She was casting some sort of spell.

The tree rustled. Henry—feeling like he was in a trance—turned; crouching in the tree next to him yet not seeing the lad was a man cloaked in green. His eyes were narrowed and focused; there was a cold rage burning in the depths of his gaze. He watched the dark queen. She was throwing things into a raging bonfire fire at the center of the gathering. The crowd below was getting excited. Something big was about to happen. The man in green—Henry thought perhaps his name was Robin Hood—withdrew his bow from underneath his cloak and retrieved a single arrow. He notched and drew it back.

The Queen was raising a heart up into the air. It seemed to be her moment of triumph.

"For Marian," Robin whispered. He let the arrow fly, and fly it did; true to its course, it cut through the magic-filled air, past the heads of the gathered evil, and pierced the heart of the Evil Queen.

Regina looked down in shock for only a moment then she turned to follow the arrow's path. She saw the man in the tree. He stood and threw back his hood. There was no recognition in her eyes as she stumbled to the ground. Her father cried out in despair just as the gathered crowd erupted in fury.

_I wish the curse had never been cast._

Those words echoed through his mind and something inside of him broke in that moment. Henry screamed—a loud, long, agonized scream—and clutched his head as the wild magic closed in around him once more.

"No!" he pleaded. "No! Make it stop!"

The wild magic churned and howled; this time, there was confusion and frustration lacing the magic. It seemed hurt by his words.

"This isn't what I want!" he cried.

_Then what do you want?_ The magic seemed to ask.

"I don't know!" Henry confessed. "I just...I just..."

Images; moments; memories that were and never were swirled through the magic around him; white wisps were pulled from him and eaten. All that he knew; all he was; all of it was gone; and all that was left was an aching emptiness in his heart.

Henry fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around his chest. He felt the tears rolling down his face, but he did not know why. He just knew one thing. "I want it to end."

The wild magic surged.

"Just make it stop. I want..." He looked up at the clouds around him. "I wish none of this ever happened!"


	4. I Dreamed A Dream

Choices

By: Jecir

Chapter Four: I Dreamed a Dream

The wild magic collapsed in over him in thick, powerful waves. Henry lay down and curled in on himself. He did not understand anymore. Everything hurt; nothing was ok; but he could not fathom why. Something deep and distant told him that this magic was dangerous and that he should not let it continue its course but he did not know why.

There was something...something to do with wishes. He had been making the wrong wishes.

"Henry!" A crystal clear voice pierced the darkness.

Henry twisted away from that voice. It was pure. It hurt to hear.

"Henry!" It called again. An artic blue light accompanied the call. It was cool and alluring. It drove the wild magic back.

Henry ducked under his arms to hide from the light. "Leave me alone," he whispered.

"Henry, you need to fight it," it said.

"No," Henry said.

"You need to!" it pleaded. "You are the Truest Believer. You must remember or all is lost!"

Remember? Henry did remembered pain. He remembered experiencing so much pain. _No,_ he concluded. Remembering only brought pain, and he did not want any more pain. "No," he whispered by way of reply. "No remember...too much pain."

"But there is love," the voice said. "So much love. Your family loves you, Henry."

"My family is gone!" Henry snapped. The piercing light was cutting away at the darkness in his mind. He was seeing it again. He saw his father's tombstone in a small town far away; he saw his mother dying on a sword; his father being shot; and the Evil Queen dying from an arrow shaft. He saw it all, and it fueled the pain. "Love is pain," he replied. The words seemed to fit but they felt wrong on his lips.

"Love is _life_," the voice insisted.

"Life and death," Henry countered. "So much death." He covered his ears as the scenes played over and over again in his head. "Only death. Please, no more death!"

"Oh Henry," the light said. He felt a ghostly touch on his forehead. "There is also life."

The pure light surged; the wild magic rolled back in protest; and Henry found himself surrounded by another life and another time. This time it was him sitting in a dinner with his family.

_His _family?

The artic light illuminated the blackness of his mind, and he remembered them.

He was sitting across from his grandmother, Snow White, and his grandfather, Prince Charming. They were holding their new son, his new uncle, and waiting for Emma and Neal to return. The christening celebration had been going on for some time now, but his mother and father had disappeared. His grandfather had called them; he had needed to warn them about Zelena's portal mysteriously opening. They had not heard back. The royal couple was doing their best to keep their worry to themselves. Henry was trying to help by focusing on his storybook.

"See his?" he pointed to a picture in his book. "This is the scene where Lady Milah and your mom and dad planned the rescue of Sir Hordor from the Evil Queen who really isn't evil at all." He looked across the diner to Regina, his mother, and smiled. She was in Robin's arms and laughing at something he had said. Henry turned back to his infant uncle and explained, "She just needed someone to love her."

Hook paced near the bar. Every few minutes, he would look at the door. He was worried. They all were, but Henry knew his mother and father would be fine. They were together. That fact was probably what was worrying Killian more than their prolonged absence. Hook had been fighting to get back on his mother's good side ever since Neal's arrival in New York. Henry still did not know how he felt about Hook accepting the ruby slippers from Zelena. He had come to New York to find them and his mother _had _fallen in love with the pirate during that year, but finding out that Killian had accepted Zelena's help only after promising to keep Emma away from Storybrooke, well, that was difficult to forgive _especially_ after finding out the truth behind Zelena's plot. Still, Killian had fought beside them to defeat the witch and even almost died because of it. His father had saved him, though, and Emma and his mother had been able to combine their magic to defeat Zelena. It had been an epic battle; or so he had been told. He had not been able to see it.

Henry turned a few pages in his book. "See here?" He held the picture up to show his uncle. "This is when your mama and papa realized they loved each other."

The doors to the diner opened. Neal held the door open for Emma. They both looked worse for wear. Rumpelstiltskin jumped up from his chair by the door and immediately began fussing over his son. A long-suffering look crossed Neal's face. His father's fretting stopped him from following Emma. She shot a grin over her shoulder before continuing into the dinner. Killian tried to greet her, but Emma stopped him with a shake of her head. The pirate slumped back, dejected, and then made a swift exit. Emma watched him go with a pained expression, but it passed quickly when her mother enveloped her in a hug. Emma clung to Snow and then Charming as if she had not seen them in a long time. She sat down at their booth, then, and began to tell them all that had happened.

"You were Lady Milah?" Snow asked in disbelief.

"Milah?" Rumpelstiltskin asked his son.

The Dark One, Belle, and his father had joined their small gathering sometime during the tale. Neal had added a few details to their romp through time but, for the most part, had contented himself to let Emma tell the tale. When his father's calculating gaze landed on him, Neal ducked his head and muttered, "Seemed fitting."

Something passed between the father and son. Rumpelstiltskin glanced at the door where Hook had made his exit, and scowled. Neal grabbed his arm before he could excuse himself. The once lost boy shook his head. After a long moment, the Dark One submitted to his son's silent request. He opted, instead, to give what comfort he could to his boy who seemed to be experiencing a pain that Rumpelstiltskin himself had once felt many centuries ago.

Emma, for her part, had missed the exchange. She was focused on confessing to her parents how sorry she was for denying them the chance to be a family. "Mom," she said as she stood. "Dad." There was a confidence in her words that had not been there before. She hugged her parents then, and Henry knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they would be staying. "Now," Emma said, "Let's name my brother."

Prince David Leopold was introduced to everyone and the celebration continued.

It was soon after the announcement that Henry saw his mother slip out the front door and his father slip out the back. A sinking dread filled his stomach. He hurried after his father. If what he thought was happening was about to happen, he wanted to let his father know that, no matter what, _he_ still loved him.

Henry was not surprised to find his father lingering in the alleyway next to Granny's. It was the perfect vantage point to watch Emma and Killian. Henry slowed down as he came up beside his father. He could not hear what the two were talking about, but when Killian tenderly brushed the hair behind Emma's ear, Neal turned away. In that moment, Henry saw an honest glimpse of the pain his father was feeling. The truest love only ever produced the deepest pain, Henry thought. His father was letting his mother go.

Neal stopped short and immediately buried his pain when he saw Henry. His father tried to say something, but Henry simply took his father's hand. Neal squeezed his son's hand and smiled a sad smile. "Hey kid," he said, "Want to see something?"

"Yeah," Henry said. He did not look back as his father led him away from the diner. They walked down the quiet streets of Storybrooke, turned at Mr. Gold's shop, and headed into the woods. Henry tried to distract his father by asking him about his time in the Enchanted Forest, but it seemed only to make Neal sadder. Henry soon determined that silence was best and simply enjoyed walking with his father.

They arrived at the Wishing Well where Henry watched as his grandfather married Belle. Neal stood with his dad as witness and best man. Henry couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. His family was getting bigger every day.

Just as his grandfather finished making a rather mushy speech about the power of love, Emma arrived. She snuck up out of the shadows. Henry saw her before his father did, and, in the same moment that his grandfather kissed his new grandmother, Emma slid her hand into Neal's. Neal jumped in shock at the touch and then gaped a bit when he looked at her. Emma had a hesitant smile on her face. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hey," Neal breathed out.

Emma watched Rumpelstiltskin walk his new bride down the aisle. "You know, we never got that coffee."

Neal looked both confused and pained. "I don't think Killian would approve."

"I don't care," Emma said.

"I thought—"

"He was right," Emma cut in before he could say anything else. "Killian, when he said I should give loving him a second chance." She bit her lip and looked down at their hands. "He was just wrong about who I should try to love again."

"Emma," Neal started.

"I'm not promising anything," Emma said quickly. "But..." She looked up shyly. "Maybe we could go talk?"

Relief, happiness, longing, and so much love crossed Neal's face; it all converged into a smile the likes of which Henry had never seen on his father's face. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, let's talk."

The artic light slowly filled his vision; it broke the spell the experience had placed upon him. All the joy Henry had felt only moments ago disappeared as he realized that the scene was not real. The light embraced him. "There will always be life and death," the voice said. It was a voice he now recognized.

The light began to fade around him. It formed into real arms that pulled him against a real body. The warm of physical touch sank into the dark numbness in his soul and drew him back into the real world. He slowly looked up into Evangeline's eyes. The Wishing Star looked down at him; there was a sad smile on her pale face. "Imagination, hopes, and dreams," she said. "And the reality we forge with the choices we make every day."

Henry blinked a few times as that reality settled in around him. He was lying against her; his back to her chest and resting in her arms as if she had just pulled him from a cold lake. The night sky was bright overhead. There were trees and the sounds of the forest all around them.

The wild magic was nowhere to be found.

Henry took a deep breath. There was no vapor to choke him. He released the breath slowly and returned his gaze to the Wishing Star.

"Welcome back," Evangeline said softly.

Henry tried to smile and tried to speak, but a sudden realization stopped him. The reality of what had just happened—of what his wishes had _made_ happen—filled his soul. Shock set in; followed by fear and a return of the deep pain he had been feeling before Evangeline interfered. The tears began to fall fresh and new as he whispered, "What have I done?"


	5. Life Has Killed the Dream

Choices

By: Jecir

Chapter Five: Life Has Killed the Dream

The night was loud. Evangeline wondered how Henry could sleep through all the noise. Crickets, wolves, and leaves rustling in the wind—no wonder humans stayed indoors at night. From her vantage point far above in the heavens, Evangeline knew only the peaceful silence of the night broken by the songs of her brothers and sisters. They would sing a lullaby to the worlds; one that inspired dreams and drove away nightmares. Tonight, however, she sat amongst the cacophony and gazed longingly into the sky. "What am I going to do, Raymond?" she wondered.

Beside her, Henry stirred. Evangeline brushed back his hair and let her magic flow through her fingertips. A brief silver glow touched Henry's forehead. He relaxed back into his needed rest. He had been through so much in such a short time; Evangeline wanted him to be at peace if only for a moment. In the morning, they would have to face an uncertain future, but for now, she let him sleep.

High above, a blue star twinkled. Evangeline smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

Henry woke up, or, at least, he assumed he was awake. His body was stiff and ached—a certain sign of being awake—but his mind was cloudy. It was hard for him to think. He groaned and covered his eyes. He wondered if he could go back to sleep.

"Good morning, Henry." Evangeline's greeting was followed by a firm shaking. Henry tried to swat at her hand, but she released his shoulder before he could get his hands to obey. "You need to get up," the Wishing Star said. "We need to move."

Henry grumbled incoherently but obeyed. He sat up, blinked his bleary eyes, and groped about for his shoes. His fingers gripped an unfamiliar pair of boots. Henry eyed the footwear uncertainly. "What are these?"

"Boots," Evangeline said.

Henry rolled his eyes. "Where did you get them?" he asked tersely.

"I didn't," Evangeline said.

She stood up then, and Henry's clouded mind cleared enough for him to see that she looked normal. She was dressed in a commoner's travel dress complete with a cloak and bag. Henry looked down at himself and the last of his fogginess cleared. "What happened to my clothes?"

"Gone," Evangeline said. She was being uncharacteristically short. She shouldered her bag and headed into the woods.

Henry scrambled to his feet with a protest. The Wishing Star did not stop walking, though, and Henry was forced to chase after her after putting on his new, unfamiliar boots.

"Hey!" he called. "Wait!" When he caught up with her, he asked, "What's going on?"

"A lot, Henry," she said. "Far too much. Come on; we need to move quickly if we are going to fix your wish."

Henry fell in step behind Evangeline. He mulled over the last twenty-four hours—specifically what had recently occurred. "Evangeline," he whispered after some time.

"Yes?" Evangeline glanced back at him.

Henry hesitated. He was not really sure how to ask or if he really wanted to know. Part of him—a part that he had never really indulged until lately—was warring with his familial impulse to jump without looking. He had always wanted to be a hero, and heroes never hesitated. Today, he felt like a coward because today he wanted to know what would happen the next time he jumped. "Did my, um..."

"Teenage outburst of pure angst?" Evangeline offered. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes that made Henry smile despite himself.

"Yeah, _that_," he confirmed. "Did it ruin everything?"

Evangeline pondered his question for a few long moments. "Yes and no," she concluded. "Your little tantrum—and don't scowl at me, that is _exactly _what it was."

Henry failed in diverting his scowl.

"Empowered the Wild Magic," Evangeline continued. "What began as a simple task of helping you remember your wish has turned into a race against time."

Henry stopped short. "A race toward what, exactly?" he asked.

"To saving your family," Evangeline said. She turned and faced him. For the first time since the beginning of their little quest, Henry saw a darker emotion in her eyes. "The Wild Magic is unravelling time. It was already happening after you made your first wish, but it was slow and nearly harmless because there was so much to unwrite. "I wish none of this had ever happened"? The Wild Magic had a broad spectrum from which to draw—none of this? None of what, exactly? We had an advantage until you specifically named things you _wished_ never happened. Now, the magic has a focal point, and it is racing toward that moment with increasing speed."

Evangeline turned back to the trail and pushed forward. "It tried to grant your three wishes, remember?"

"Yes," Henry said as he tried to keep up with her pace. "I saw my parents die."

"What you saw were worlds that could have been but never were; worlds discarded because of the choices humans made. A vast majority of your false wish was wrapped up in those what if's. After you made your new wishes, the Wild Magic gave you the option of three potential choices for your new life. All three were not what you wanted."

"No," Henry confirmed. "I don't want anyone in my family to die."

"Everyone dies, Henry.""

"Not like that!" Henry shot back.

"And it was that very passion you have for your family that caused you to reject the options and discard those worlds. This time, however, there is no getting them back. The world's you saw can never come back—"

"Because the Wild Magic ate them," Henry finished for her. His forehead was wrinkled in thought and his eyes narrowed. He stared unseeing through Evangeline as he mulled over everything she had said. "Any what if it takes is gone because it is unraveling time itself."

"Exactly," Evangeline said. "It is like those timelines never existed, and now—"

"Princess Emma?"

"Get down!" Evangeline grabbed Henry and pulled him into the brush right before a young man riding a blood bay appeared on the trail ahead of them. He was dressed in royal ropes of gold and white. He pulled off his plumed hat and ran a hand through his short, dirty-blond hair. "Where is she?" he muttered.

A melodic laugh caught his attention. "You needn't be so agitated, Christopher," chided a young maiden on a white mare. She was dressed in a royal blue riding gown trimmed with a yellow that matched her long, blond hair.

Christopher turned his mount to face the lady. "These woods are wrought with brigands who would take advantage of the princess, Alexandra," he said. "The King and Queen—"

"The King and Queen know full well that their daughter can care for herself. Besides, _if_ these brigands were to descend, would it not be the High Princess coming to the aid of Midas' heir instead of the other way around?"

Her voice was light with teasing, but Prince Christopher still flushed. "That was one instance, my lady, and I would you not refer to a childish incidence."

"Childish, maybe," Alexandra said with a bright smile. "But amusing none the less. Come, let us ride west. The Princess is fond of the Crystal Lake. Perhaps she has ensconced there." She kicked her mount and led her companion away.

Evangeline waited until the sound of hoof beats had vanished before she allowed Henry up from their hiding place. "That was close," she said.

"They shouldn't have been able to see us," Henry said. He wiped the mud and bits of brush from his jacket. "I mean, no one saw me in the other worlds."

"That was different, Henry," Evangeline said. She looked around. "The Wild Magic showed you different worlds by opening windows to them. You were still in the prime timeline. Now—" A rustle to their right caused Evangeline to pull Henry back into the brush.

They waited in silence for a few moments. When nothing happened, Henry turned to the Wishing Star and demanded, "Now what?"

Evangeline took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We are not in the prime timeline anymore." She locked eyes with the Truest Believer. "I had to pull you out. It was the only way. Had the Wild Magic kept you there, you would have disappeared along with your lifetime."

Henry stared at her in confusion. "Are you saying my timeline is gone?"

There was a second rustle followed by the sound of approaching horses.

"Evangeline," Henry whispered. Evangeline hushed him and motioned for him to get down. He crouched low but could not help asking, "Where are we?"

Evangeline pressed her back against the fallen tree behind which they hid and looked at him with a sudden sorrow. "We are in the what if's before the curse was cast, if it ever was. Here, we can see and be seen and intervene. Now hush!" She glanced over the tree. "We have company."

A second pair of horses appeared on the trail. Henry gasped when he saw the riders. Though much younger, he would never mistake them for anyone else. "Mom," he whispered. "Dad?"

"Are you certain we are safe?" his father asked.

Emma smiled a familiar, self-assured smile. She was young, just barely out of her adolescence, and dressed in a way that the mother he knew would never be dressed. She was wearing an artic blue riding dress trimmed in silver. Her hair was falling freely around her shoulders; tamed only by the gold circlet on her head. Princess Emma sat with all the regal bearing of her station and spoke with an elegance Emma Swan did not have. "I am most certain. Alexandra will lead Christopher astray for hours before he realizes. Poor Alexandra," she continued as she spurred her mount forward. "I do hope dear Christopher notices my friend's intentions soon least she begin to wilt of a broken heart."

"Men can often be blind to such things," Neal—or Bealfire, Henry thought—said with a lazy smile. He was dressed, like the peasant that he was, in simple browns and a touch of green on his coat.

"Christopher is not so much blind as he is determined to ignore his heart," Princess Emma said. "He works under the false assumption that he is in debt to my father for freeing his father from a curse and seeks to repay that debt by uniting our kingdoms."

Bealfire glanced at the Princess; there was a touch of reservation in his eyes. "A union between the Kingdom of Midas and your family's would be a powerful alliance."

"Indeed," Emma said. She dropped her gaze to her riding gloves. She was gripping the reigns rather tightly. She made a conscious effort to loosen her hold. "My father has said as much."

"But?" Bealfire asked.

Emma halted her steed and faced Bealfire. Her mother's determination shown through her eyes as she said, "But my mother will have none of it. I am the daughter of true love, and it is only true love that will bind me."

Bealfire's grin betrayed his relief. "Well said, Princess."

Emma met his grin with her own radiant smile. "Come," she said and swung her mount around. "Alexandra will have her query in the west; we shall ride east." With a loud cry, she ordered her horse into a gallop. Bealfire laughed and gave chase. Soon, they were out of sight and earshot.

Evangeline sank to the musty forest floor. "A truer love could never be then the one that died too quickly."

Henry remained on his knees looking out over the trail where his parents had disappeared. "They're together. Even here, they found one another."

"True love will always find a way even if briefly," Evangeline said. "It is truly a tragedy that the prime timeline saw them eternally separated."

"Yeah," Henry mumbled. It was a bitter memory for him and one he did not want to revisit just yet, thus, he forced himself to be optimistic—a stance he had been finding difficult for himself as of late. "But mom has Killian now, so that's good, right?"

"If you say so," Evangeline said.

"You don't like Killian?" Henry asked. His mother's love life was a shockingly easier topic to discuss then what they had been discussing before his parents arrived. Henry needed something lighter in the midst of all this dark confusion.

"No," Evangeline drawled. She stood up and shouldered her bag. "I do not like who he has become. A man who seeks to do good merely to secure the love of a woman is no man at all. Killian and your mother have made a dangerous choice, and I worry for them. Well, _worried_, as that timeline no longer exists." With that said, Evangeline reentered the trail.

"Killian makes her happy," Henry pointed out as soon as he caught up with her. "How is that a bad thing?"

"Happiness does not equal true love," Evangeline said. "Indeed, happiness and the pursuit of it as an end goal is, in itself, a danger. The addict is temporarily happy whilst in the midst of his addiction but is being addicted a good thing?"

"No," Henry agreed. "But Killian and my mom are not drug addicts."

"In a way, they are," Evangeline countered. "I have watched humans for millennia, and I have concluded that, no matter how strong a love is, if it is based on need, it is a danger. Killian needs your mother as a reason to do good; Emma needs Killian because he is the only man who has never abandoned her. It is not a healthy connection no matter how happy they are, well, _were_. Love, true love, is unselfish, sacrificial, and based firmly on the foundation of this single truth: you do not _need_ the one you love but you want them. Needing something from the one you choose will eventually drain them because, no matter what anyone thinks, humans cannot fulfill the deepest needs of other humans." Evangeline smiled to herself. "And I have rambled. Have I lost you, Henry?"

"A little," Henry confessed. "But I think I understand. So, based on what you said, then not only is Killian and my mom in trouble but so is Mr. Gold and Belle."

Evangeline's smile faltered. "Sadly, yes. Rumplestiltskin keeps Belle close because she reminds him to be good, but if he does not choose to be good and do good for his own sake, the darkness will resurface and it will consume him because it is what he wants. Yes, the Dark One may need Belle, but he wants darkness. Thankfully, Belle wants him free. Her determination will always be what battles Rumplestiltskin's want for power."

Henry's shoulders sagged as he thought about what she was saying. "So no love is really pure."

"No!" Evangeline exclaimed. She slung her arm around his shoulder and hugged him. "Your grandparents had it right. Snow White and her prince charming did not fight to be together because they needed each other. They were both strong and self-assured of who they were without needing the other. They simply chose to be together because they wanted each other. There was no unequal drawing or need to fulfill anything. They simply enjoyed being together."

"And my parents?" Henry asked. "What about them?"

"Your parents never made it that far," Evangeline said. "I believe your father's love for your mother was true. Bealfire always knew who he was and what he was doing. Your mother was not someone he needed, but, oh, did he fight to keep her for as long as he could have her. Emma, however, never got the chance to become the woman who could return his love in its fullest. She was lost and still is in some respects. She had only just begun the journey of becoming herself after your father died."

"But now she's stuck in an unhealthy love with Killian," Henry concluded.

Evangeline winced. "Is that what I said?"

"It is what you implied."

"Then let me amend my conclusion. Had your mother and father been given a chance, their love would have been true. You can see that in the what if's. No matter what timeline became the prime, Bealfire and Princess Emma always inevitably find one another. In the same way, Killian Jones finds Milah, his true love. The true tragedy is that the prime timeline was one where both Killian and Emma found true love and lost it. Whatever love follows is shallow in comparison, but that does not mean it is not love nor does it mean it is doomed to failure. Much like your mother and Robin."

"But Robin went back to Marion," Henry pointed out with a touch of bitterness. He had not forgiven the thief for that.

"Yes," Evangeline said slowly. "But that is because Marion was his true love. It will always win out; however, much of this is here say now that the prime timeline has been unraveled. I will say this, though; I have seen every timeline that Killian and your mother could have lived; some proved my point; others proved me wrong. Each one has led me to this belief: when love is true, is lasts. Plain and simple."

They walked in silence; Evangeline happy with herself for an argument well made, and Henry deep in thought. "You said the prime timeline has unraveled," he said after some time. "You said we were in the what if's before the curse was cast."

"Yes," Evangeline admitted. "I did say that."

"So," Henry stopped walking and looked up at her. "My world, my _life_, it's gone?"

"Yes," Evangeline said again. "But, it is not over." She crouched down and placed her hands on his shoulders. "We can still fix this. All we need to do is find the prime timeline and make your true wish before the Wild Magics finish unraveling it. Simply, really; just a race."

"Yeah, but, if my timeline is gone, how am I still here?"

* * *

**AN: **Why indeed? You will find out in the next chapter.

Thank you to all my readers. I hope you are all enjoying the story. Please review! Let me know you are out there. It will help me to write knowing people are waiting to find out what happens next. Ta!


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